give new pan pizza Sicilian flare

VANCOUVER, Wash., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake
Pizza, the world's largest and fastest-growing take-and-bake pizza chain,
announces the launch of its new Sicilian Pan Pizza. The Sicilian Pan Pizza
will offer guests a new experience -- starting with a delectable olive oil-
brushed crust topped with hearty Sicilian pizza sauce, fire-roasted onions,
premium pepperoni and Italian sausage, and freshly grated 100-percent
mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
"Papa Murphy's has had great success with traditional and thin crust
options, and the Sicilian Pan Pizza expands our menu to include a wonderful
pan-style crust," says Jeff Hill, chief strategic officer for Papa Murphy's
International. "Papa Murphy's is always innovating and looking for ways to
keep our menu fresh and exciting. Customers obviously love what we're doing,
as they've voted us Best Pizza Chain in America for the last three years. The
Sicilian Pan Pizza is just one more reason for our customers to visit Papa
Murphy's and enjoy our delicious pizza at home whenever they want it."
Papa Murphy's conducted market tests across the Midwest and the Pacific
Northwest for the Sicilian Pan Pizza, which was extremely well received.
Guests enjoyed the bold flavors of the pizza and the new pan-style crust. "As
with our Sicilian Pan Pizza, we'll put each new menu item we introduce through
rigorous testing -- both in our test kitchens and with consumers, to deliver
new products that customers really enjoy and that make sound business sense
for our franchisees," says Hill.
Sicilian Pan Pizza will be served in a convenient take-home aluminum
baking pan and will be offered in both original and family sizes. Baking time
will be between 15 and 20 minutes in customers' home ovens and the price for
an original size Sicilian Pan Pizza will begin at $6.99.
About Papa Murphy's. Papa Murphy's is the sixth-largest pizza chain in the
country and the pioneer of the Take 'N' Bake pizza concept. Nearly 900 Papa
Murphy's locations operate in 29 states, and the company plans to open 70
additional restaurants in 2005. The Vancouver, Wash.-based company offers
custom-made pizzas on dough that is made fresh each day and generously layered
with the highest quality fresh toppings to ensure a superior tasting product.
Made-to-order in each store, Papa Murphy's pizzas are baked at home in your
oven for a piping hot, delicious product whenever you want it. In addition to
its pizza products, the company offers a wide spectrum of Take 'N' Bake food -
including cheesy bread, chocolate chip cookie dough and dessert pizzas, as
well as salads. New products are constantly in development. Papa Murphy's has
been selected Best Pizza Chain in America for the last three years by
Restaurants and Institutions Consumers' Choice in Chains survey. For more
information, visit http://www.papamurphys.com.